1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods for protecting vehicle occupants from injury. More specifically, the present invention relates to a pyrotechnic inflator with a baffle that provides simplified initiation gas delivery and inflation gas collection.
2. Description of Related Art
The inclusion of inflatable safety restraint devices, or airbags, is now a legal requirement for many new vehicles. Airbags are typically installed in the steering wheel and in the dashboard on the passenger side of a car. In the event of an accident, an accelerometer within the vehicle measures the abnormal deceleration and triggers the expulsion of rapidly expanding gases from an inflator. The expanding gases fill the airbags, which immediately inflate in front of the driver and passenger to protect them from impact against the windshield.
Side impact airbags such as inflatable curtains and seat mounted airbags have also been developed in response to the need for protection from impacts in a lateral direction, or against the side of the vehicle. Other airbags such as knee bolsters and overhead airbags also operate to protect various part of the body from collision.
Known inflators generally fall into three categories: pyrotechnic inflators, compressed gas inflators, and hybrid inflators. Pyrotechnic inflators depend solely on combustion to provide inflation gas, while compressed gas inflators may use only a minimal amount of pyrotechnic that opens a chamber to release the inflation gas from a compressed state. Hybrid inflators use a combination of combustion and compressed gas storage to provide the inflation gas to fill the cushion.
Pyrotechnic inflators typically have an initiator that combusts very rapidly to produce heated initiation gas. The initiation gas typically causes the ignition of an igniter material stored adjacent to the initiator. The additional hot gases provided by combustion of the igniter are then exposed to a generant that generates the main portion of the inflation gas to inflate the cushion. Various members may be used to distribute the inflation gas to the generant or collect the inflation gas from the combusted generant for expulsion into the cushion.
The igniter material, distribution members, and collection members add to the complexity of the inflator. Several steps must be taken to assemble the inflator. Hence, the overall cost of the inflator is increased. The cost of the inflator adds to the cost of the airbag module.
Accordingly, a need exists for an inflator and related methods that remedy the problems found in the prior art. Such an inflator should preferably provide relatively even and rapid inflation of the associated airbag cushion. Such an inflator should also preferably be simple and inexpensive to manufacture and install.